The Hunt for Oil: Risks and Rewards

On the second anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon spill, BURN examines America’s oil industry.

This hour-long special begins on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico where hundreds of offshore rigs cut into the ocean’s bottom in an unabated effort to satisfy the country’s petroleum needs. But as drilling continues, so does debate over the impact of Deepwater Horizon.

Further north, in Utah, sits the Covenant Oil Field – one of the biggest petroleum finds in the US in thirty years. Host Alex Chadwick talks with Covenant’s owner about the uncertain business of oil exploration.

We also look at the tens of thousands of miles of oil pipeline crisscrossing the US. It’s a vital and cost-effective way to move fuel. But old pipes leak, polluting soil and water. And: the cost of a gallon of gas. Fuel prices are about much more than supply and demand.

Listen to the BURN Radio Special

Full Broadcast(54:01 minutes in three segments)

Segment A: Deepwater Horizon Two Years After

Part 1

Alex visits Port Fourchon, Louisiana, where he discusses the state of the gulf with environmental engineer John Pardue. We learn about the organic nature of oil, oil eating microbes and the spill’s impact on wildlife and the entire Gulf ecosystem.

Listen as Alex discusses oil, microbes and the Gulf’s ecosystems with scientist Robert Twilley who says that in order to advance scientific understanding it’s critical to find opportunities in the midst of crises.

Watch The Gulf Spill, a video from The National Commission on the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling